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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Hey guys I am bored with headphones and want to get a pair of 8's so I can release the sound into the room. I am no pro studio guy, just a guy who loves to play his P155 with Alicia's for fun and wants to be able to turn the volume up! I've had my eye on these models, they are priced the same and are both into/affordable options for decent sound. Anybody have any experience with them?

I will be adding the matching subwoofer as well to this combo fyi.

I want a baby grand eventually, but I still want to have my digital setup for recording and practicing.

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"I have never in my life written another such beautiful melody" - Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 3

I think you will be quite happy with either of them. I don't own them but I have played through the Rokit 8's at a Sam Ash, very nice. I have a set of Alesis m1 Active 520s that I'm very happy playing through. They aren't as nice as the Rokit 8's or BX8 but work well for playing piano through! Any decent monitor setup will sound superior to on board speakers if placed in the right place in the room.

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A long long time ago, I can still rememberHow that music used to make me smile....

I had the KRK RP8's and later the M-Audio BX5's. The quality of the KRK's was better in many ways than the M-Audio's and I don't think it was all due to the difference in size.

If you will use a subwoofer, I wouldn't suggest getting an 8-inch monitor. They make 8-inchers for people who want to use it without a sub...it's kind of a jack of all trades and there are compromises associated with using that size of cone. If you get the RP6's, not only will you save money, but you will probably get a better sound. If I was buying monitors and intending to use a sub I would absolutely get the 6's, even if they were the same price as the 8's.

However, next time I get new speakers for my piano, I'm going to get HiFi. I don't like how directional monitors are, nor how they have a tendency to sound a little harsh.

I'm going that route too, gv. It seems you get a lot more for your money in stereo speakers, compared to monitors.

Right now I have towers on either side of the piano, supplemented with mini-satellites on top. But I'm not satisfied with the sound.

I received advice here some months ago to put speakers behind and just above the piano. So I'm looking for bookshelf speakers and stands. I found a pair of Polk RT15s on Craigs List. I'll be looking at those real soon.

I don't actually own a good Hi Fi system for my piano at the moment--I just got rid of my last pair of studio monitors in frustration. Wife hasn't approved another speaker purchase yet. In the mean time I'm using highish end computer speakers (Logitech Z-2300). They have very definite audible flaws, but in some ways they are more pleasing than my old monitors were, and they are a lot cheaper.

When I do buy my Hi Fi system, it will be after a ton of research. Big old floorstanding speakers and a sub, most likely. I might even consider the magneplanar option. Have to do more research...

Actually I also need a better room to put it all in if it is going to make sense to have good speakers. A new house costs a lot of money. Better start saving.

Wow, good info here guys, thanks. GV, you bring up a good point about cone size if going with a subwoofer, I've never really thought about it from that perspective. I was thinking bigger is better with the 8 inch, resulting in an overall deeper more full sound. As long as I can get a smooth crossover going with the sub, I think you may be right on the "money".

I'm honestly surprised that most are saying the KRKs are superior in quality, which was my only concern with (not having seen) them.

Off topic: Have you seen KRK's High Output Subwoofer?? OMG It's massive and weighs over a 100 lbs haha. A bit overkill for my application but still looks cool.

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"I have never in my life written another such beautiful melody" - Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 3

I have only seen it in videos. Looks like it would dim the lights when you turn it on. Probably good for breaking glass. I used to own the KRK 10S sub and even it needs to be tamed. Certain low notes would hit the resonant frequency of my room and practically blow my head off when I played them. Bass traps are a good thing if you have a large, powerful sub. I was very impressed with the performance and quality, though. Very clear and not muddy.

Yeah, the KRK Rokit Powers are the most popular (best selling) of all "studio" monitors. They sort of lay at the intersection of ok price, ok sound, and ok transparency/flatness. Not amazing at any one of those. They have a reputation for being used in pop and rock home studios, which is a pretty big market. And those bold yellow circles let everyone know unambiguously that you have a set of KRK's in your house.

The M-Audio are just a little lower end in my opinion. More quality control issues, too, in my experience. More similar in quality to the Behringer monitors I've used than to the KRK's.

The other monitor that is near in quality to the KRK's would be the Yamahas (HS50M or HS80M). Some people around here have them. According to one person I know who owns both the Yamahas and the KRK's, the Yamahas are more transparent/honest, but the KRK is likely to make it sound a little better.

I have the KRK5s because my music room is quite small. And I have a polk 10" sub that I can barely use because it'll shake the whole house with it barely being on. Just make sure that your room can handle it! I'm warming up to the KRK5s, by the way — they did seem a little harsh at first but I'm getting used to them.